The Thread of Illumination
by Leucosia
Summary: The last apprentice of an ancient Order on the brink of extinction must accept her new path, and learn to let go of all she has ever known in the pursuit of truth. Going against the traditions of her Order, she must now choose between the light and the dark in a war that spreads like fire across the Galaxy.
1. Chapter 1

**The Thread of Illumination**

* * *

" _The secret to change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but building on the new_ "  
 **Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Member of the Jedi High Council  
**

* * *

It has long been written that the Jedi and the Sith are not the only ones with knowledge of the force within the Galaxy

For many Orders have both risen and fallen throughout the decades, yet one forgotten Order still remains...

An Order so ancient that barely even a trace of them can be found within any culture, even the most astute Jedi would be hard pressed to find even a mention of it within  
the deepest, darkest depths of the Jedi Archives

The Mejii; an Order of force users once venerable and distinguished, now shrouded in both myth and legend.  
An Order that chooses neither the light nor the dark, it's members merely move within the force itself; embracing the ebbs and flows of it's will

Secluded to a small planet so far out into the outer rim, that it is doubtful even the Republic or it's Senate are even aware of it's abundance of life.  
Since the Mejii first emerged, the Order has served the planet of Aeolis and it's Assembly; much like the Jedi serve the Republic

Protecting and watching over both Aeolis and it's moon, Ravier on behalf of the Aeolisian Assembly, the Mejii perform this duty as a gesture of thanks for the sanctuary the Assembly provides the Order

In return for their service, the Aeolisian Assembly allow the Mejii to live peacefully, and without outside influence of the greater Galaxy in the Order's quest to explore and understand the force

Steeped in tradition, it is these contraints of its singular service to the Aeolisian's that have ultimately served as the downfall of the once great and mighty Order

With a Galaxy at war, and the struggle between both light and dark; The Mejii are flailing

The once thriving Order is now faced with the very real prospect of extinction, and The Mejii's numbers have now dwindled to all but three; a Grand Master, a Master and an Apprentice

With a war that ceaselessly and mercilessly rages on throughout the Galaxy, and the force dangerously out of balance;  
no star system, no planet, no life form or even force user is safe from the evil clutches of the Sith


	2. Chapter 2

"Your assassin failed Count! My father lives and now the Assembly are dispatching their precious Mejii as we speak!"

Under normal circumstances, the enraged voice of Leon Narran would have enforced the unfortunate being on the receiving end of his vicious shrill, to immediately comply with the Dynast's son's demands but Count Dooku was anything but unfortunate

The Sith Lord appeared the epitome of calm, whilst his associate was barely able to contain his evident rage

"Calm yourself, Narran. Everything is working exactly to plan-"

"How is everything going to plan! Your plot is threatening to unravel before it has even been able to gain any ground!"

Straightening, Dooku inhaled a deep and weary breath; his thick brow knitting in irritation. He had little patience for ignorance and egos, stupid men whom believed themselves to be far more important than they truly were

"It would be wise for you to hold your tongue, Narran. Although my Master may have provided the muscle to act out this little scheme, I do believe that it was you whom in fact sought the help of my Master. If you aren't happy in the way we conduct business then maybe we should reconsider our agreement?"

Fixing Leon with a narrow stare, Count Dooku knew full well that his words would cause his associate to back track; men who were greedy, were always in want

Leon returned the Count's stare, a swift acknowledgement flittered across his furiously reddening features; his dreams for the Dynasty were at risk of slipping through his fingers with each slip of his ill temper

"No! No, I want my father dead. I want the Dynasty, I want to be in control!"

Biting back at his words, he balled his fists at his side before letting out an infuriated breath, he began to pace in an attempt to calm himself

"I am fully aware of our agreement per say Count, you know my wishes and wants. I am still to hear what it is you require in return for helping me claim my rightful place?"

Pausing mid stride, Leon turned on his booted heels to cast Dooku with an unblinking stare in an attempt to enforce his will.

The Count returned Narran's stare with a matched intensity, his silence rang louder than any verbal reply.

Fighting the urge to look away, Leon noticed the fierce contemplation lying heavily on the Count's features had begun to seed an unnerving sensation in his gut

Before Leon could break the pregnant silence that swelled between them, Dooku finally spoke

"I want The Mejii"

* * *

Aeolis; a world brimming with life, a lush and vibrant balance of both exotic fauna and flora. An entire planet immersed deep within the force, overflowing with both the living and unifying concepts as an equilibrium, so finely tuned it was if the planet were but the force itself

But as Nica Arisu already knew, Aeolis merely acted as a conduit for the force, and as she recalled from her studies during her formative years under the tutelage of Grand Master Elda, the planet was what listeners of the force termed as a 'Force Planet'

It was only as she grew older and more confident in her force connection, that Nica truly began to understand why the Mejii chose Aeolis as the staging ground for their Order.

She considered herself extremely fortunate of being afforded the oppurtunity of being able to live, train and study on a Force Planet; it granted her an understanding of the force that most Master's of the Mejii's obverse brethren, the Jedi, could only hope to achieve

Although not overconfident, Nica was very much aware of her exceptional force talent. True to Mejii tradition, only the most gifted force sensitives were accepted into the Order, but it was her understanding of the way Aeolis channeled the force around her that had aided in her development

She believed it most impossible for a student not to flourish during their studies, when allowed to meditate and embrace the ebbs and flows of the force in its most potent form

It was now, as Nica stood gazing out through the window as a passenger on one of the Assembly's shuttle transports as it moved through the Aeolisian air smoothly and noiselessly, did she observe the physical beauty of the force before her; verdant countryside, bountiful, vast grassy plains teamed with rich tree covered mountain tops, and numberous cascading waterfalls

Yes, just as the planet so evidently thrived from being saturated deep within the force, it would be impossible for a student to not prosper from studying and training here

Closing her emerald green eyes, Nica reached out and embraced the force as it called to her, washing over her in mind and body like a mother embracing a small child, and in that split moment she suddenly felt empathy for students of the force, the Galaxy over

For unlike the Mejii, the Jedi and force users like them more than likely had never been afforded the chance to learn within such a force abundant enviroment

"Nica, we are nearing Lindbah province"

Pulled from her private musings, she turned in the direction of her Master's voice and respectfully inclined her head in response. Casting one final glance through the window, she moved to retake her seat before closing her eyes; the force flowing through her unbashedly

Yes, Nica was home and Aeolis would always be her home, and in that moment she realised just how thankful she was to not be a Jedi.


	3. Chapter 3

When the Mejii had first arrived on Aeolis, it had been in turmoil. For two decades, the Dynasty Wars had ravaged the lands and devastated the populace caught up in the onslaught for power; wealthy and noble houses, all fighting for a slice of what they deemed as rightfully theirs

With the poorer, more common inhabitants of the planet decimated, and their land ravaged as a result of the feudal war, the Mejii ultimately intervened and brought about a peaceful resolution, thus giving birth to the Aeolisian Assembly; a Council in it's most crudest of forms, began dividing up the Aeolisian lands before delegating out the jurisdiction of the newly formed provinces to the wealthiest of Houses

Only the strongest and most prosperous of families were deemed worthy of such a position of power, for they would ultimately aide in any financial burden their province, or local populace could possibly suffer; in return they would pay their Dynast taxes.

Whilst the Dynast's and their families were in charge of their respective lands, the Aeolisian Assembly brought about an official order; a decree that forced Dynasts to heel under the Assembly's rule

Being both the oldest and most affluent of bloodlines, it was only natural that the Narran Dynasty be handed the Lindbah Province; one of the largest and most sought after territories on Aeolis

The House of Narran's sovereignty over such an abundance of land had stood for over 2,000 years, and had been a long, uneventful and benevolent reign until the attempted assassination of it's current ruler, Dynast Lothor Narran

It was only as Nica descended the boarding ramp of their assembly shuttle alongside her Master, that the true power and prestige of the Narran Dynasty struck her. She stood quietly, observing their picturesque surroundings;

Being both imposing and grand, Dynast Lothor's home sat nestled amongst swathes of beautiful rosariums that seemed to all most whisper of his romanticised view of idyllic charm

Soothing sounds of running water and wind chimes floated on the breeze, and upon further inspection, Nica was able to make out the magnificent water fountains that sporadically dominated the sumptuous lower gardens; so obviously designed for contemplation and meditation

A lavish cream building that stood out against Lindbah Province's most striking backdrop of rocky hills, the Narran Home was afforded a most scenic view of three clear, majestic waterfalls

The impressively elaborate architecture of the building itself, with it's splendid brown roofs and huge picture windows, each inlaid with a delicate gold leaf detailing, created a vivid opulance many would struggle to recreate anywhere else in the Galaxy

Evidently impressed with the scenery laid out before her, Nica began to contemplate their arrival ever so briefly before turning her attention to that of her Master, Caelan Rinn

With a respectful gentleness, she reached out with the force in an attempt to pick up on her teacher's own musings, for he had remained oddly silent regarding their assignment

Upon feeling the familiar nudge of his charge, he sent out waves of reassurance in her direction; obviously pleased with her attentiveness

Being both bold and tenacious, patience had never been one of Nica's strong points. In her much younger years, she had often acted rash and delivered judgement far too quickly. Master Rinn had, on more than one occassion, found himself pondering as to whether his young apprentice would ever learn to quieten her own thoughts and give heed to others; allowing the force to ultimately guide her

Thankfully, all of his reservations had been for nothing; Nica's mental and spiritual development had flourished and now at the age of 24, she eagerly embraced the will of the force whilst remaining empathic to those around her

"It would appear we have a welcoming party"

His low, earthy voice mingled with the nearby sounds of running water and wind chimes in a soothingly odd sort of way. Flashing his silent apprentice an amused glance, his chocolate coloured eyes dancing with a serene strength as they fell upon the approaching group

The three men hurried over to the awaiting Mejii, their matching grave expressions striking against their differing appearances

"Master Mejii-"

The oldest of the welcoming party, an elderly gentlemen dressed in courtly attire with thinning grey hair and kind brown eyes, hurried into pleasentries

"I am Deacon, Dynast Lothor's adviser-"

Turning slightly, he began to gesture to the two men stood close behind him

"May I introduce Captain Advik, head of the Dynast's security forces, and Sinzo, the Dynast's head servant-"

Deacon turned back to the Mejii, his expression suddenly growing strained with worry

"I am thrilled that you have been sent to us. The circumstances are grave, Master Mejii; yes, they are grave indeed

Nodding only his acknowledgement to the three men stood before them, Master Rinn gestured over to his apprentice

"This is Nica Arisu and I am Master Caelan Rinn. The Assembly have already informed Master Elda of the situation. She explained the unfortunate turn of events when she assigned us as Dynast Narran's protection and investigators; I do assure you we will get to the bottom of this"

Deacon bowed, interjecting before Master Rinn could continue

"And whilst we are most grateful, please Mejii forgive my haste as Dynast Lothor is awaiting your arrival within the main hall. If you would please, it is right this way..."

The Dynast's advisor did not wait for a reply before turning and making his way back to the house, the captain and head servant following close on his heels

Nica didn't move, noting Master Rinn's hestiancy through the force. Her green eyes firmly settled on the retreating backs of the Dynast's welcoming party, she whispered

"Well that wasn't much of a welcome..."

She could tell from her Master's expression that he was mulling her statement over. Crossing his arms across his chest, he inhaled heavily

"Hmmm...I sense a great deal of fear, although attempted assasination is far from trivial, I feel there is more happening within the Narran House than we have originally been made aware of"

Feeling assured, Nica gave a firm nod

"I agree too, Master"

Allowing his crossed arms to fall to his sides, he turned to meet his apprentice's gaze

"I suggest vigilance during this meeting, Nica. Surely whatever they are hiding will be revealed by the Dynast himself"

Inclining her head in response as Master Rinn turned and made his way after Deacon, a silent thought crept into her mind

 _...atleast we hope..._


	4. Chapter 4

Standing solemnly, Asajj Ventress peered out through the large viewport of her modified Ginivex-class starfighter. Combing the expansive blanket of space, her large blue eyes flitted from star to star as they glittered like rare diamonds against their crushed velvet backdrop

Her thoughts began to linger on her Master's latest source of interest; Aeolis

A small, politically insignificant planet shrouded from both the clutches of the Republic, and the Confederacy of Independant Systems; concealed well within the blanket of the Unknown Regions yet it resonated the force with a beacon like status. So like so, that Asajj would have believed it to be merely a mirage in her viewport, had it of not of shown up so patently on the Last Call's gemcutter scanners

Growing tired of the uniformed outlook of space, she closed her eyes slowly and breathed out a deep, restless sigh through flared nostrils; waiting, she had and always would hate waiting

Focusing on her growing agitation, she attempted to stifle down the emotion for she would not allow Dooku's tardiness to aggravate her. Asajj had always strived to appear as the epitome of an obedient student who exuded nothing but gratitude, even if it did little to starve her growing resentment of her master

Turning her attention to the ships scanners, she flicked over the screen to make sure she was definitely alone. After her recent uninvited visit to the Narran Household, she had made her escape into Aeolis's atmosphere quickly before guiding her ship around to the darkside of Aeolis's moon, Ravier

Count Dooku had insisted her starfighter be equipped with a cloaking device, which she had engaged once she had made it safely back to her ship before departing.

Asajj's pride had been dented at the instruction, for not only did she believe it impossible to cloak a ship of the Last Call's size, but she also believed that her Master lacked confidence in her flying capabilities. Upon contesting the cloaking device, Dooku had cut her down swiftly with nothing more than a few choice words.

Now, double checking her location and the scanners once more, Asajj was confident that she would remain undetected

Although Aeolis boasted many similarities to it's moon, there was one striking difference that was to the advantage of Dooku's assassin; Ravier lacked civillisation

Upon research, Asajj had discovered that the Aeolisian Assembly appeared overly protective of their forest covered moon, and in an effort to protect it from mining and deforestation, the Assembly had legislated protective conservation laws over the moon in order to preserve Ravier's untained flora and fauna; as long as she kept the Last Call away from the energy field protecting the moon from unauthorised visitors, she could remain concealed for as long as she deemed neccessary

Reaching out into the force, Asajj could feel the long, slow pulse of Aeolis and how the force seemed to pull and push in gentle but powerful rushes. A force planet was always considered by academics of the force as neutral, but Aeolis emanated the light side in such sickening waves that it left Asajj with a bitter after taste

It was at that moment she decided she deeply hated Aeolis and it's entire system. Curling her lip into a vicious sneer, Asajj's large eyes snapped open with building rage, her thoughts dripping with venom as she fought to control her anger

It was such a pathetic, pitiful little planet that held no real value in her eyes, if she had ever felt like Dooku's puppet in the past, it was never any more so than now

His reasons for aiding the slime ball Leon both bewildered and enraged her. The fury she felt towards Dooku for even sending her here was unimaginable, balling her hands into fists she became acutely aware of a soft, blue hue that now illuminated the entire cockpit

In an instant, Asajj smothered the flames of her quietly contained outrage in obedience and gratitude; the act of submissive apprentice smothering her mind, body and emotions like a tainted, thick treacle, and as if her temper had never even been flared, the ever calculating and manipulating Ventress pulled her contorted features into a wide grin

She turned on her booted heels, and with her head bowed respectfully, she purred in a low and seductive voice

"Master, I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me"

* * *

After witnessing the grandeur of both the Dynast's home and gardens, it came as little surprise to Nica that the inside decor would be anything other than ostentatious; as with all Dynasties the running theme was to project an image of affluence after all.

Following Deacon and the rest of the welcoming party through a large set of ornately carved wooden doors, the Meji found themselves stood within an impressive, oval shaped entrance hall with a twin set of marble staircases running around the circumference of the hall up to the next level of the prodigious home

Nica's curious green eyes followed the steps that climbed the height of the large hall, her gaze tracing past the second floor higher and higher until her studious stare finally reached the gold ceiling before finding the huge, brilliantly bejeweled chandelier

 _The milk and honey of the rich_

She pondered silently, thoroughly entranced with the way the glittering chandelier captured the daylight that streamed in generously through the Narran households running theme of ornate, gold leaf windows; it was the the eventual authorative tones of Deacon's vocals that brought Nica's gaze back to both him and his assemblage

The Dynast's advisor had as swiftly as a man of his age could, made his way across the marbled floor towards a large set of frosted glass doors that stood nestled within a drape covered archway. Turning, his gaze settled upon Master Rinn and his apprentice

"Now Master Mejii, if you would please follow me; we will finally be able to get your meeting with the Dynast underway-"

Opening the impressive doors wide, he gestured with an outstreched palm for everyone to begin filing into the hall.

* * *

 **I've not really had much interest in this story, if at all. I've been playing it safe with short chapters to see if anyone's interest in piqued, I haven't had any feedback. I thought that maybe it would take time, so have left updates long in the hope that it would inspire someone to write a review or even ask for further updates but alas I still haven't had any response.**

 **I'm now wondering if the silence is merely because I am not asking for a response? So if anyone is reading this story at all, could you drop me a line and let me know what you think? I have this whole story line planned and briefly written so now I'm just wondering whether it is actually worth continuing with it or not?**

 **Thanks to all who are reading it though, and if you love it or hate let me know! Thanks in advance. Ciao! x**


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